rarely pure and never simple
by starryminds
Summary: Travis, to his credit, looks confused as well, as if he can't believe those words just came out of his mouth. He blinks once, twice, frowns and cocks his head to one side. "Travis," she says slowly, eyeing him carefully. "What did you just say?" / A run-in with a goddess leaves Travis in a compromising situation, much to Connor's glee and to Katie's horror.


"_Stupid _son of Hermes, absolute _moron…_"

To say that Katie is pissed would be an understatement. Not once did she consider that today would leave her stumbling out of an abandoned mansion, wading across a freezing river, or carrying an unconscious Travis Stoll through it all.

Okay, in all fairness Connor is helping, but barely. His whining is growing incessant and Katie can feel her temper rising rapidly.

She didn't even _want _to come on this quest. But Rachel just _had _to spit out some stupid prophecy about _two children of the messenger _and _daughter of grain. _Of course Travis got leadership because he's one of the oldest Hermes campers, and of _course _he had to bring Connor along, and of _course _that meant Katie was automatically nominated as the token daughter of grain, because who else could handle the Stolls' antics?

They somehow _finally _make it to the bank of the river, hauling Travis up onto the land and lying him down. Katie and Connor collapse on their backs, both breathing heavily. Katie turns her head to glare at Travis, not that he can see it. He just _had _to go and piss of Aletheia by lying to her—seriously, who lies to the goddess of _truth?_—and spitting some stupid story about the reason for their presence in the mansion.

To make matters worse, Aletheia screamed something about a curse as they were dashing away, so Katie is pretty sure they're all screwed. Or at least Travis is.

Maybe it was just for him to trip and hit his head and get totally knocked out, or something. The goddess just cursed him with temporary clumsiness. (Katie doubts it.)

"Your brother is a dumbass," she pants out as she finally brings herself to rise, sitting up and leaning back against a tree. She digs her fingers into the wet soil there, feeling the familiar thrum of life as it filters through the earth. The plant life is thriving in this area, and Katie can feel herself regaining some of her lost energy from it.

"Never claimed that he wasn't," Connor retorts, wincing as he sits up as well. "That's our entire tag line, pretty much."

Katie snorts, closing her eyes. She supposes that's fair enough.

Once they've caught their breath as much as possible, Katie reaches for her sopping backpack and sifts through whatever's inside—waterlogged hairbrush, damp package of gum, drenched clothing, soggy bag of ambrosia. Pretty much everything is completely soaked through from their trip across the river, and Katie is hit with a whole new surge of annoyance.

Huffing out an irritated breath, she stands and begins emptying the bag's contents. She drapes her clothes over a low-hanging branch, lines up her other possessions in a dry patch of land. She notices Connor beginning to follow suit with his and Travis's shared backpack.

The sun has completely set when Travis begins to stir, Katie and Conner perched in front of a terribly-made campfire in an attempt to warm up and dry off.

Travis suddenly bolts upright, letting out a yelp and clutching his head. His chestnut curls are still a little damp, sticking to his forehead in some places and looking almost black under the moonlight. It seems as if he had a dream of some kind, if his heavy breathing and the way his gaze darts around the makeshift camp is anything to go by.

"Well, looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," Katie grumbles, placing her chin in her hand and her elbow on her knee as she shoots him yet another glare.

Travis only grins at her, coming out of his tired haze. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Katie scoffs and turns back to the fire, writing off the burning in her cheeks as a result of the flames.

Travis finally stands, with a whole lot of groaning and moaning, before joining them by the flames. "So what happened while I was out?" he asks.

"Literally nothing," says Connor, poking at the fire with a long stick. "You're lucky you were unconscious, otherwise Katie would have murdered you."

"All of our supplies are totally messed up," Katie says, exasperated. "I'm perfectly justified in wanting to kill him!"

"It's not _my _fault that I tripped!"

"Literally how?"

"That root was totally put there by Aletheia. Or maybe by _you, _plant freak."

"Or maybe you're just clumsy!"

"I am not!"

Katie is about to retort with an oh-so-clever _Are too! _when Connor cuts them off. "Oh my gods, just shut _up _already."

They both turn to face him, and he looks tired. Katie huffs and crosses her arms, and she watches Travis glare at her from the corner of her eye before he turns away, too.

The three of them sit in silence, listening to the fire crackle as embers float up into the night sky. Katie wonders what the other campers are doing right now. She thinks it's Friday, so maybe capture the flag.

Travis speaks suddenly, breaking the quietness. "I had a dream while I was out," he says, confirming Katie's earlier suspicion.

"What about?" she asks, not looking up from the fire.

"I don't know. Our dad was there," he says, looking at Connor. "He said something about Aletheia being pretty mad at us. Well, mostly me. Apparently she's gonna make the quest a whole lot harder now."

"Wonderful," Katie says, rolling her eyes.

"He also told me to be careful," Travis continues, as if he never even heard Katie's interjection. "Said something about keeping close to what I'm terrified of losing."

Katie frowns at that, and Connor scoffs. "Cryptic, much?" he says.

Travis shrugs. "I don't know. Just have to be mindful, I guess."

"Oh, please," Katie snorts, picking up her water bottle and wiping the dirt from the bottom of it. "What could _you _possibly have that you're terrified to lose?" Shaking her head, she takes a sip of her drink. She isn't expecting what comes next.

"You."

Katie chokes on her water, spluttering as her hand flies to her chest, eyes burning. When she's managed to slightly compose herself, she whirls around to face him. _"What."_

Travis, to his credit, looks confused as well, as if he can't believe those words just came out of his mouth. He blinks once, twice, frowns and cocks his head to one side.

"Travis," she says slowly, eyeing him carefully. "What did you just say?"

He gives her a pleading look, as if to say _please don't make me do this, _and even brings one of his hands up to his mouth as if to keep himself from speaking. When he does speak, his words are muffled by his hand but still clear enough as he repeats what he said earlier.

She stares at him, and he stares straight back.

Suddenly, Connor bursts out laughing. "Oh my _gods,_" he says. "Travis, you're totally cursed!"

Katie's mouth drops open when she realizes—he must be right. Aletheia wanted to curse Travis, and what better curse from a truth goddess than to give someone the inability to lie?

"No," says Travis, shaking his head vehemently. "I mean—I mean yeah, maybe! She totally cursed me to… to lie!"

Katie nods slowly, still confused. Did Travis really say that he was afraid to lose _her?_

"No way," says Connor, still laughing. "Nope, we both know that isn't true."

"No we don't!"

"Okay," says Connor, calming down and clearing his throat. He leans forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Who turned all of the Demeter cabin's roses into chocolate?"

"I did."

Again, Travis's hand clamps over his mouth, his eyes bugging in horror.

"Wait, that _was _you?" Katie asks, her voice raising. "I knew it! Chiron told me to let it go but I _knew _it was you! Are you kidding me?"

"It's a lie!" says Travis.

"It's really not," says Connor.

"Wait, wait, wait," says Katie, shaking her head and frowning. "Then how did Travis just lie? He said it's a lie, but _that's _the lie. Why was he able to do that if he's cursed?"

"Maybe it's only when you ask him questions," suggests Connor, and Katie thinks that's actually a pretty smart guess.

And suddenly, she's grinning. If that's true, then this could get awfully fun.

She turns slowly toward Travis, still grinning, and he suddenly looks very scared. "Oh, Katie, come on—"

"Did you put the hair dye in Miranda's shampoo?"

"Yes."

"Are you the one who tied all of my shoes' laces into one big knot?"

"Yes."

Travis just looks increasingly horrified with each question, shaking his head every time as if he's trying to stop himself from answering. Connor, in the meantime, is practically dying of laughter.

"I wonder how long this curse will last for," says Katie.

"Hopefully forever," Connor says dreamily.

"_Guys,"_ Travis groans. "Please leave me alone."

"Oh, no way," says Connor, shaking his head. "Absolutely not. I love you, bro, but this is just too good of an opportunity to pass up. I'm sure you understand."

"I would never do this to you guys!" says Travis.

"Oh but you totally would," says Katie with a grin. "Wouldn't you?"

Travis glares at her. "Yes," he says grudgingly, answering her question with this look of intense suffering that has Katie's smile widening.

"Okay, but hold on a second," says Connor suddenly. "You, Travis, said that you're afraid of losing our dear friend Katie."

Katie feels her face heat up, her stomach flipping. Travis looks equally nervous, shaking his head at Connor as if he's begging him not to do something.

She hates herself for feeling almost… _flattered _at Travis's earlier admission. Maybe even excited. But no, that wouldn't make sense. Sure he's admittedly cute—like, very cute—but she doesn't _like _him. He's a moron!

"So I have a question," Connor continues, and Travis's terrified gaze has become a glare.

"Connor," he says warningly, but his brother ploughs on.

"Do you think Katie is pretty?"

"Yes."

"Beautiful?"

Katie's breath catches as Travis answers, "Yes."

Connor's grin intensifies, something Katie thought impossible until now. "Travis," he says. "Do you _like—_"

"Just quit, Connor," Katie suddenly says. She isn't sure why she's defending Travis. Earlier, she had been overjoyed at his condition. Maybe it's because she's afraid of his answers. If he were to say what it seemed like he was going to, then it would mean Katie would have to confront her own feelings. And she doesn't feel quite ready to do that.

She catches Travis's gaze, his blue eyes taking on a golden tint under the light of the fire. He shoots her an almost thankful look, but she turns away.

"Fine, fine," says Connor with a sigh. "I'm tired, anyway. I say we hit the hay."

Katie and Travis wordlessly agree, and they all put out the fire before settling into their thankfully-dried sleeping bags.

* * *

Katie thinks it has to have been three hours since they settled down, but for some reason she can't bring herself to fall asleep. Maybe it's the uneven ground beneath her, or the incessant chirping of the crickets, which doesn't usually bother her but they seem especially loud tonight.

She sighs, kicking in her sleeping back and turning over onto her side. When she does she jumps with a start, seeing Travis only a few feet away, illuminated by the moon and stars, sitting on the ground and staring at her.

"What the hell, you creep?" she whisper-yells. "Why are you watching me like that?"

"I feel bad," Travis says, and then Katie remembers that he's cursed. She sighs, figuring that she should back off with the questions.

"Sucks that you got cursed," she says, trying for conversation.

Travis shrugs. "It's my own fault."

"Yeah, but it can't be fun," she says. "Sorry for playing along earlier and asking all those questions."

Another shrug. "I probably deserved it," he admits. "I've messed with you so much in the past that it's pretty much all karma at this point."

Katie can't disagree with that statement. She wants to ask him so badly about what he said earlier, about her. But she doesn't want to take advantage of him.

"It's okay, you know," he says, interrupting her train of thought. "You can ask me. I know you probably have some questions."

Katie shrugs, shimmying out of her sleeping bag and moving to sit beside him. She looks up at the sky, picks out the constellations that Annabeth taught her about a few years ago. "I mean, I do," she says. "But if you have secrets, they should come out when you're ready for them to. I'm not gonna force you to say anything you don't want to."

Travis is silent for a moment, but she can feel him watching her. "Why are you being nice to me, Katie?" he asks, and he sounds strangely dejected. "I'm so awful to you all the time, and you aren't even trying to get revenge or anything."

She's surprised at how lucid he sounds when he says this. Honestly, she isn't sure why she's being so nice to him either. She has every reason to hate him, to want to get back at him, yet she doesn't. She's starting to think she knows why, and it terrifies her.

"I don't know," she says truthfully, shrugging. "I guess… I guess I know that you aren't mean to me for bad reasons."

He looks at her and frowns, and she takes a deep breath. "Like, you don't hate me. I know you don't hate me, Travis, because if you did then you probably wouldn't even bother with all the pranks in the first place."

He's quiet for a few beats, and Katie wonders if maybe she was wrong. But then he breaks the silence, a short and simple, "Yeah."

Katie sighs again, tilting her face upward. The sky is growing lighter, the stars beginning to fade, and she realizes for the first time just how long she's actually been awake.

"Katie?" says Travis after a few more moments of silence.

She turns to face him, and her breath catches when she sees the expression on his face. He looks uncharacteristically earnest, determined. She frowns. "What?"

"I just…" He stops himself. "Never mind."

"You can tell me," she says, her voice softer than it's been. Somehow, she notices, they've moved closer to each other, so close that she has to focus her eyes if she wants to look into his.

"It's nothing," he says, his own voice low, and Katie doesn't miss it when his eyes flick down toward her mouth. She swallows, bites the inside of her cheek. What's happening?

"Travis," she says, and he hums in acknowledgment. Again she swallows, and then she speaks. "Do you want to kiss me right now?"

"Gods, yes," he breathes, almost relieved, and now he's so close that she can feel his breath on her face and then his lips are on hers and they're actually _really _soft and she finds herself kissing him back, bringing her hands up to tangle in his hair.

It somehow feels _right _kissing Travis. When he slants his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss, and when they both inhale through their noses, and when one of his hands cups her face while the other grips the back of her neck, and when she moves her hands from his hair to his wrists, and when he gently grazes her lower lip with his teeth and their tongues meet, it just feels _right._

And when Apollo brings the sun up, painting the sky orange and pink and yellow and casting a golden haze over the world, Katie wonders how she ever got along without this.


End file.
